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Philadelphia 76ers: 5 Projected Starters From Pre-Training Camp
2013 Philadelphia 76ers Projected Starting Five
The Philadelphia 76ers are not a team that people are going to be lining up outside the door to see in 2013. All of the hype surrounding Andrew Bynum and a brighter present are now gone and have shifted to the idea of a brighter future. The future is definitely a few years away however, because the current Sixers' roster does not shape up to one that will win more than 25 games next season.
In fact, the roster isn’t even complete yet. Since the draft day trade of Jrue Holiday there has not been much noise out of Sixers' camp besides minimal moves. They have acquired Nerlerns Noel, Michael Carter-Williams and Arsalan Kazemi via the draft, added Royce White and Tony Wroten via trade and claimed James Anderson and Tim Olbrecht off waivers. None of those names scream out intrigue except maybe Noel, who won’t play until Christmas at the earliest while recovering from a torn ACL.
The Sixers will struggle on offense because they don’t have one player on the roster that can create a good shot off the dribble. They also don’t have a legitimate low post threat or a knockdown three point shooter. The team will struggle on defense because they do not have quickness on the wings or toughness on the interior.
A few things they do have: length, hustle and youth. If you are going to check out the 76ers this year, you will see every guy playing his absolute hardest because nearly everyone on the roster is playing for something, whether it be more minutes or a roster spot somewhere else next year. The youthful aspect of this team will show as you will see rookies and second year players logging heavy minutes all year. With a roster that has many remaining question marks, let us take a look at a pre-training camp potential starting five for the 76ers.
Zach Slotter is a contributor for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @zslot6, Like his Facebook page and add him on Google.
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Point Guard: Michael Carter-Williams
The 76ers selected Michael Carter-Williams with the No. 11 overall pick in this year’s draft with the intention of playing him right away. His size is intriguing but he lacks the outside shot and basketball IQ to succeed right away. He’ll get his chances to develop this year and run the show in Philly.
Shooting Guard: Evan Turner
After three years in the league this is Turner’s first chance to be a go-to guy like he was in college. He has struggled with his efficiency on offense but he will get the chance to put up a ton of shots this year and should be a volume scorer for the team.
Small Forward: Thaddeus Young
The heart and soul of this team will finally lessen the beating on his body by moving from an undersized four to the small forward position. Thad will get the chance to work on his outside shot and use his length on defense to create advantages on any given night.
Power Forward: Arnett Moultrie
Moultrie showed flashes his rookie year in limited playing time. He was a solid rebounder and even started developing an outside shot. With a young and developing team Moultrie will get the chance for significant minutes this year so management can see what he’s capable of.
Center: Spencer Hawes
Hawes is one of the more versatile big men in the game. Sometimes, I question how frequently he spends his time outside of the paint, but he will probably be the number two option on offense and the starter until Noel returns from injury. He has the chance to get a double-double on average with the amount of playing time he’ll receive.
